


Before the Fall

by HoodieHeda



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Additional Scene, Beau loves a swear word, Canon Compliant, F/F, Mild Angst, Mild Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-28
Updated: 2019-06-28
Packaged: 2020-05-28 14:42:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19396267
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HoodieHeda/pseuds/HoodieHeda
Summary: Creepy courtyard? Check. Bleeding statues? Check. The all too real threat of losing another important person in her life? Check. Beau had decided they should have stayed well away from this place, but she wasn't about to let them go in without her.Additional scene set before they entered the tower in Episode 66.





	Before the Fall

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this before Episode 69, but to be honest it's still in line with canon (and makes it a tad more angsty.) I've not written for CR before so I'd love some feedback.

Beau had seen a lot of shit in her time. Like seriously, a _lot_ of bad - would keep most people awake at night, jumping at every shadow - shit. 

But this courtyard? This creepy, entrance-to-hell looking, foreboding as all _fuck_ courtyard? Was pretty high up there on her list of Bad Shit She Never Wanted To See Again.

It was just above that time she accidentally walked in on Fjord bathing. But like, _only just_ above it.

“Fuckin’...bleeding angels man,” She muttered, feeling her muscles bunch in tension everytime she heard footsteps behind her before recognising them as her friends. This place had the word “TRAP” emblazoned across it in capital letters and they were just waltzing in, delivering Yasha like prime bait just like this asshole wanted. 

She swallowed and bounced lightly on her feet, half wishing something would attack her just so she could plant her fist in its face.

Eyeing the blood trickling steadily from the stone face of the angels, Beau clenched her fists hard. Not for the first time, she felt decidedly underpowered compared to her magical allies, especially when it came to something that _screamed_ of the arcane like this whole dungeon did. Sure, she could punch something really hard, run up a tree, maybe roundhouse kick something, but none of that meant _jack-shit_ when they had to face something that could fuckin’... turn her body inside out or turn her brain to paste.

Beau winced, rubbing harshly at the back of her neck and doing a mental check on the whole group for maybe the tenth time in the past two minutes. Jester was right next to her, rubbing curiously at the wet blood on the statues as if it wasn’t the sort of shit that triggered a trap. She was humming under her breath, and Beau hoped the Traveller was looking out for her because she would find him and beat his Godly _ass_ if he let anything happen to Jes.

Caddy was hovering in the middle of the courtyard - not literally, though Beau had no doubt he could do that shit if he wanted - detached gaze wandering around the room in that vaguely unsettling way he had. The pink of his hair looked laughably out of place in this hell-pit, and Beau decided that she liked it.

Fjord and Caleb had moved over to the door and had their heads close together, clearly deliberating over how to open the door or if they should just crawl under the damn thing. Personally, Beau would prefer to not crawl head first into a dark Murder Tower, but that was just, ya know, _preference._

Nott looked, well, as twitchy as Beau felt. Granted, that wasn’t necessarily new but it made her uneasy - the knowledge that Nott hadn’t had a drink in a while. She was a loose cannon right now, and she just hoped Nott would hold it together for the duration of whatever they needed to face.

“You’re bouncing.”

A voice behind her made Beau tense, instinctively whirling around, fists clenched, _“Fuck,_ Yasha,” She stared up at Yasha, squinting in irritation, “Wear a fucking bell, or something.”

Yasha frowned, “But we are trying to be stealthy.” She tilted her head - adorably, Beau noted, but she filed it away for later, “Besides, I am six-feet tall and wearing heavy armor. Maybe you’re just losing your touch.”

Beau gasped in indignation, catching the barely there twist at the corner of Yasha’s mouth, “I can’t believe you’re _joking_ at a time like this. You _never_ make jokes, and you decide now is the time?”

Yasha shrugged, “I could be dead in a few hours. I might as well enjoy the time I have left.” 

She was blase about it, matter-of-fact, and Beau fucking _hated_ it, “We’re not letting you die.”

“It could happen.” Yashas eyes wandered over the statues, green and violet locking onto the one closest to Jester and watching the blood drip steadily down.

“Well it fucking _won’t._ Shut up.” Beau winced, realising a second too late that she had pressed her nails so hard into her palm that she’d broken the skin. She uncurled her fingers, aching from how tightly they’d been clenched, and saw bright crimson forming in small arcs in her skin.

“You’re bouncing again.” Yasha noted, quietly, “Are you scared?”

Beau frowned up at her, “Dude, have you seen this place?” She gestured emphatically over to the statues, the tower, the lingering darkness in the edges of the room, “Of course I’m scared.” Yasha’s brow crinkled, a look of faint surprise flashing briefly across her face, and Beau laughed a little, “What? Does this place not give you the heebie-jeebies?”

“I-” Yasha paused, “I… Don’t know what those are. But you are always so brave.”

Beau swallowed harshly, doing yet _another_ mental check of her friends just so she didn’t have to look Yasha in the eye, “Doesn’t mean I’m not scared, just means I’m a good liar.” 

She sniffed, feeling the dank, earthy air clog up her nose. This conversation was getting just a little bit _too_ real to be having in a slaughter-dungeon.

Yasha was silent for a moment, big hands fiddling with her cloak as she stared up at the tower, “I think you’re brave, Beauregard. You fight terrible things and throw your body against monstrosities because you love your friends.” Her eyes went vacant, only briefly, and Beau recognised it as the haunted look she had when she thought about her wife.

Beau bit her lip, feeling Jesters atrocious attempt to seem like she wasn’t eavesdropping despite _clearly_ listening in. She knew what she wanted to say to Yasha, the sort of thing you probably shouldn’t confess before entering a place that gave off _strong_ Bad News energy, but was all too aware of how clumsy her words were sometimes.

_Fuck it,_ she thought, nudging Yashas hand tentatively to stop it from fiddling, “You’re, uh,” _fuck, shit_ this was already going terribly, “You’re included in that, you know?”

Yasha looked more confused than she had earlier, and Beau wanted to smack herself because she’d managed to make it _more_ awkward with less than ten words, “Included in what?”

Beau rolled her eyes at herself, pushing her hair back roughly, “You know, the people I um, care about.” She looked away resolutely, eyes narrowing on how Jesters shoulders were bouncing with telltale giggles at how much of a fuckin’ _dweeb_ she sounded right now.

“I-” Yasha stuttered again, and Beau was so grateful for her darker skin because it meant that along with the dark room, her blush wasn’t so obvious, “That’s what I worry about, you know?”

“Gee, thanks.” A flash of hurt burned in her chest, and Beau made sure to look away for a moment before looking back, trying to hide the pain in her eyes.

“No!” Yasha said loudly, too loudly, if the way the whole group turned to stare at her was any indication. Caleb even had flame flickering around his hands. Yasha winced, raising her hands in a placating manner, “Sorry, I was- nothing to worry about.” She received some strange looks but eventually everyone returned to their earlier activities. Yasha breathed out heavily, “I meant, I don’t want anyone else I-” Yasha’s eyes skittered over her face, lingering on her mouth for what was only a second but felt like an age to Beau, “I care for, getting hurt because of me.”

Beau frowned, “That’s bullshit. You run at fucking giants and demons to take the aggro off us, and expect us not to do the same?”

Yasha shrugged, broad shoulders lifting slowly, and Beau didn’t think she’d ever get over how gentle Yasha could be, “I have a great debt to pay the world, Beau.” The vacant look was back, “I was a coward once. To die defending someone better than myself… I would like to think that debt would be repaid if only a little.”

Beau shoved her, startling her and actually sending her stumbling a little, “Fuck _that,_ you’ve never been a coward, and you don’t owe the world _shit.”_ She realised her whispers were harsh, and that most of the group could probably hear her, but she didn’t care. Not when Yasha had basically confessed to some martyrdom shit that would probably get her killed, “Is that all this is to you? Redemption? Is that all _we_ are to you?” 

She knew they weren’t. Could tell from the warmth in the tiny smile on Yasha’s face when she listened to Jester yammer on, the soft arm she would place around Fjord when he would have nightmares, the twinkle in her eyes when she shaved Caleb carefully. But Beau was angry and _yeah,_ she _was_ fucking scared. They’d already lost one friend and she’d be damned if she was losing another.

Yasha gaped at her, “Of course not, Beau, I-” She sighed, moving closer, “You mean a great deal to me,’ Their eyes were locked, and Beau had never seen Yasha’s eyes so intense before, “I mean- all of you do.”

Fjord whistled, “This thing ain’t movin’ up anytime soon, so we’re gonna have to scoot on underneath it.” He eyed Nott, “Caleb is gonna send Frumpkin in first, see if we can see what’s in there, but we were hoping you’d go next? You’ve got dark-vision, so…” He trailed off.

Nott looked like she wanted to do literally anything _but_ go into the tower, but she nodded her agreement.

Yasha cleared her throat, pulling Beau’s attention back towards her, “Remember what I said, Beau. Don’t die for me.”

She reached out a hand to shake, almost like one of the fucking business deals Beau had watched over and over as a child. She clasped Yasha’s hand in hers, feeling the callouses and the scars and the _warmth,_ “Likewise.”

They locked eyes, and Beau knew damn well that this didn’t change anything. Yasha would still fling herself in front of fatal blows. Beau would still put her body between whatever the danger was and her friends.

“Ooh, are we holding hands?” Beau felt Yasha jump a little as Jester popped up next to them, eyes sparkling as she looked at them, “I’d love to join in, but apparently we’re crawling into the tower now?” She nudged Beau forwards across the courtyard, moving her insistently towards the door, “Bagsy crawling behind Beau!” She winked at her and slapped her ass, skipping over to pull Caduceus away from where he was still studying the statues.

Beau felt a laugh bubble up from her chest, and when she looked over at Yasha beside her she found her laughing too.

“You ready?” Beau asked, flexing her knuckles at her side, feeling adrenaline pump through her veins.

Yashas eyes were fierce now, the slant of her mouth sharp, “Always."


End file.
